The End of Another Chapter
Standing upon the plateau, Khira, Caim, Zadia, Autumn, Sieglande, and Pavel eyed the two heavily armored figures that stood on either side of the porcelain masked, robe stranger before them. The two that wore armor would be an issue. The party had seen ebon-steel before and knew it was nothing to take lightly. Khira wasted no time in readying himself, always prepared for a fight and thus, his heavy tower-shield slammed into the ground before him, digging into the stone. His spear gripped tightly in his right hand, ready to thrust forth. Stepping forward, Caim summoned forth his newest and only relic. "I pledge my allegiance to you, so long as Theodan and I are free to feast to our hearts content." He spoke as he knelt down, his ebon-steel great sword stabbing down into the ground before him as he awaited a response. Nero, the man behind the porcelain mask, thought on what the kneeling half-elf before him had offered. He was in no true need of help right now, but another ally was a good thing and something about Caim made Nero feel confident in his desire to fight for them. Something about the short, tanned male felt different when compared to the rest. While the rest of the group held a sort of righteousness to them, this man seemed to carry a twisted madness about him. A feeling of...hungering despair. "Kill them then." Replied Nero before tossing Caim a small, crystal-like object. Before the traitor had time to respond, Caim felt something pierce into his back, his eyes opening as his head lowered to see the tip of a spear puncture through his chest, it's blood soaked surface dripping onto the stone he knelt upon. "You betray your king!" Shouted Khira as he pulled his spear back. "You betray your country!!" He roared as he assumed yet another defensive stance. "You betray yourself!!" He finished, eyes hidden by his plate helm glaring out at the kneeling mane who had only minutes ago been his ally. Smirking, Nero pointed his slender finger in the direction of the group's child, Keegan. In an instant a purple crystal-like object was shot froth, piercing Keegan's chest, sending him backward and over the edge of the plateau, his small body starting to fall down into the dark abyss below. "What will you do Zadia?" Asked the robed male, his grin large behind his mask. There was no time to respond. Zadia had to save Keegan. He, in truth, had become her ultimate priority. Everyone here was important and she had always been one to do the right thing when possible. Part of her knew that people here needed her, but the image of Keegan shuffling closer, burying his face against her shoulder as he accepted her as his mother was all she could focus on. She had to save him. "Keegan!!" She screamed, turning around and rushing for the edge of the plateau, looking over the edge to see the silhouette of her son as he fell. She panicked as she thought on what she could do to save him, almost jumping over due to a rush of adrenaline and impulse alone. Though her mind managed to deduce the best course of action, recalling a spell she had used only days ago. "Feather fall!" She exclaimed as she began to cast the spell, hoping that she had done so in time. Sieglande looked around, trying to fully grasp the situation and as if instinctively, she activated her Radiant Soul, a bright glow of radiant light surrounding her frame as golden, spectral wings sprouted from her back, the slight glow of a halo atop her head. She had seen Keegan fall and dove over the edge after him, but in short time noticed his frame falling slower. Zadia had slowed his fall for now, but this would only last until the child was outside her spell range and then, Keegan would fall at a normal pace once more. This was Sieglande's chance. It was now or never. Flying as fast as she could, the celestial nodded her head. She needed to move faster and there was only one way. "Pelor, guide me with your light. Let me be a beacon in this darkness and before I am snuffed out, allow me to save at least this child, please." She prayed, her form glowing once more as a set of golden armor began to manifest upon her body, two more golden wings sprouting from her back, her halo glowing much more than it had. Autumn watched Caim kneel. She watched Khira stab into him, blood spraying from his chest. She watched as Keegan was sent over the cliff and Sieglande disappear over it with him. The longer she waited and the more she watched, the worse things seemed to be getting. "My king. You asked me to come here for a reason. I choose to believe this is it. To fend off the darkness that was sleeping beneath." As she prayed, her body began to glow and light up the area, her allies sharing a flicker of her glow within upon each of their chest. As if a fragment of her soul was gently burning within each of them. "It is no use. You are all going to die here." Nero declared, the pulsing of the crystal behind him felt by all. The air within the open cavern began to feel heavy. Then it began to sting. Within seconds that sting became a burning pain as all those around noticed their skin color changing. Fresh wounds appearing as skin decayed, slowly. "He had obtained it. The Dark One's grimoire..." Nero said with delight. "Everyone in this mountain will die. Their souls will feed our catalyst." He added in as he turned, his hand resting upon the large crystal behind him. Drawing their weapons, the ebon-steel armored knights, who the group could only assume were death knights, stepped forward. One of them held in his hands a great sword, it's metal onyx black like his suit. The other fought with a sword and shield, his weaponry akin to the other's in terms of metal. They did not speak, but the one who held the great sword was first to swing, his attack directed at Khira. Bracing himself, Khira blocked the attack, a secondary ring crying out along the cave walls as his other opponent followed up. One after the other they continued to attack, leaving no room for Khira to retalliate. Though true to his minor legend, Khira stood there and blocked each attack, his shield starting to shows signs of damage after a few seconds or so of the death knight's combo of swapped attacks. It was at this point that Pavel had decided to fight. The knights were occupied by Khira, their leader left open and unarmored. He could only assume that taking him out would be important and thus, he would try to. Wincing in pain from the sting of the air itself attempting to tear him apart, Pavel aimed, letting loose a series of arrows one after the other. Each arrow hit it's target, puncturing into the robed man's back, causing him to kneel. His mask sliding along the crystal's rigid surface. Noticing their master had been attacked, the death knights turned their attention to the archer, readying a charge in his direction. "Not so fast!" Shouted Khira as he began to charge as well, his shield bashing into the death knight who like Khira, wore a shield. At this point it became a battle of strength and Khira was stronger. Much stronger. "Your fight is with me!" He screamed as he dug into the stone with his own armored feet, pushing his enemy further and further away before tackling him over the edge. "Khira!" Screamed Autumn as he continued to try and heal her allies, the air continuing to eat away at not only her flesh, but everyone she was doing her best to protect. With Khira going over the edge, she began to panic more. Who was left up here with her? Were they winning? It was so hard to tell what was going on. This was a chaotic mess and it felt almost hopeless. "Please! My king! I beg of you to help us! We're dying...." She begged as she turned her head to see one of her allies struck down by the Death Knight who carried a great sword. "P-Pavel..." She barely managed to speak as she watched their navigator cough up blood and fall to the ground. With everything she had in her, Autumn began to cast a high-level healing spell. She hoped it would be enough to save her dying comrade. Hearing the sound of clashing metal high above, Sieglande set Keegan down. "Stay here. It's safer here." She told him after placing a hand over his wound, the spot glowing as she healed him. "I'm going to save your mom. Consider my debt to you repaid." She did her best to smile. To try and comfort the injured child who at this point could do nothing but shake, fighting back tears. He didn't fully know what was happening, but knew that he had almost died. That there were powerful bad guys up there, with his mom. "I'll be back." Sieglande assured Keegan as she leapt up into the air, her wings carrying her quickly to the opening that would allow her to view the plateau once more. Though as she flew upward, she noticed a large shape diving down beside her. All she could see was a bulk of black and gray. One of the death knights? Perfect. They were winning then. Turning her back, Zadia glared at Nero. This was not the first time she had lost her friends. She seemed to be cursed to watch the people she got close to die, but this time she was determined to bring down their murderer. She was not running this time. "I'm sorry you lost your brother, Nero." She spoke through gritted teeth, the air around her heating up. "He was my friend too." She added in as her cloak began to burn and flow behind her like a large set of wings. "It was not our fault, but this?" She shook her head. "This is on you..." With her hand held out, Zadia sent forth a blast of fire, her target being Nero. Seeing the attack, Nero braced himself and cast a spell of his own. The spell helped to reduce a bulk of the damage, but not all of it. "How dare-" He began to speak before a massive ball of flame was sent his way, colliding with him before setting him ablaze. Pained, agonizing screams echoed about the small cavern as Nero dropped to the floor, rolling about to attempt to put himself out. Landing beside Zadia, Sieglande nodded at her ally. She took a second to look around, noticing that Khira was gone, Pavel was laying on the ground, not moving, and Autumn appeared to be near the edge with a foe looking her way. "The kids is safe." She assured Zadia as she pointed her blade in the direction of the Death Knight that was making for Autumn. "I won't let you hurt anymore of my-ugh!!" Blood pooled and sprayed forth from Sieglande's mouth. A rush of pain shot through her body, the original source being her stomach. "Wh-" She tried to speak. "How?" She inquired, confused and in pain. Gripping Theodan tightly, Caim grinned as he twisted his cursed weapon, blood and visceral dripping from the angelic woman he had stabbed. The party had thought him dead, but with his final moments he had taken the gift he knew ally had given him and shoved it deep within his own wound. Now where the spear had pierced, could be seen a glowing crystal, bits of stringy flesh clinging to it. Caims bloodshot eyes stared up into Siegland's own. "You may be able to fly quickly, but I can teleport." Finishing, the cursed knight appeared behind his ex-ally, slashing down with his great sword, his blade and target alike dropping down to the ground. Though only his weapon got back up, the light that had filled the area Sieglande took up now gone. Crashing into the ground, Khira screamed out in pain. He had tried to allow the death knight to take the brunt of the damage, but in reality this plan didn't work out quite how he planned. His legs and shield arm were broken, but his spear hand still worked and that meant he could fight. "I will never give up. My dying breaths will be for my king. For my country...for my friends..." He forced himself to crawl closer to Keegan. Standing, the death knight who had fallen aside Khira reached for it's long-sword, raising it only to stab down into Khira's back. Pulling the black blade out, it began to walk for Keegan, two red smolders of eyes glowing in the dark abyss behind it's helmet. Lifting his head, Khira suddenly thrust his spear into the back of the Death Knight's ankle. "I...I said your fight was with me!!" He shouted as a surge of crimson mana began to rise from his own body. "Are you capable of feeling fear?" He asked the knight before him. "Because if not..." His head lowered, resting upon the stone once more. "You will be..." A voice spoke from the darkness. Shaking, Keegan backed away from the death knight and the crimson figure that stood atop Khira's corpse. He had seen the ghost-like entity before. This was Siegfried, the spirit that was attached to Khira himself. An ancestral ghost that was bound to his family. "Help me!!" Shouted Keegan was his own fists clenched. 'run.' A voice in his mind spoke. Tsuya was doing his best to urge the boy to flee, but an eight year old child was not always the easiest to convince. Especially when they were scared. Up above, Autumn watched now as another of her allies were cut down. One by one her friends were dying and there was nothing she could do. No amount of healing was enough it seemed and thus, she changed her own plans. She would go down fighting if she had to. Her allies had chosen to and she was going to do her best to live up to them. "My king. In your name I fight and in your name, I die." She spoke out, her right hand glowing as a replica of her king's weapon manifested itself. "It is not the real thing, but I will show you a fragment of Excaliber's power! Know that even if you survive, my king will never lose to you!" Rushing forward, Autumn began to swing the glowing blade in her hand, the holy, spiritual form meeting with the dark steel wielded by her enemy. With his wound near fully healed, Pavel gasped for air. His body stung and a quick look at his hands and arms detailed that his flesh was being eaten away. He had to get out. He hated to admit it, but fleeing was the best thing for him now. He was no holy knight. He was hardly a true member of the kings army. He was an employed tracker from the norther lands. Lands the king barely cared for to begin with. He had a family to keep safe. People he needed to take care of and they came first. "I am so sorry..." He whispered before pressing a hand to his chest, his form changing to that of a bat. Though as the transformed male took flight, hos body continued to burn from the necrotic aura that filled the entire cave, his form dropping in seconds. Somehow, Pavel knew deep down that he wasn't destined to escape. As his body fell down into the abyss below, Pavel smiled. He was barely alive and knew that anything he did was akin to him frantically clawing and clinging to life. He was a survivor, but knew when that privilege had been stripped from him. "This one's for you, Thor'ok. Get rich or die trying, huh? For a dumbass, you were smart in your own way buddy." His hand lowering to pull a flask from his pants pocket, said flask being brought to his lips as he drank deeply. The liquid burned almost as badly as the necrotic air around him. "Stuff always tasted like shit to me..." Were his final words, the Norther man vanishing into darkness. All that remained atop the plateau now was Zadia, Autumn, Nero, Caim, and the Death knight whom wielded the great sword. "Autumn." Zadia called out as she watched her ally fight with one of the foes. "I'm sor-" Though before she could finish her sentence, Autumn had already cut her off. "Do it! Do it and go save him!" She screamed out as she felt steel cut into her side. She knew there was no surviving this and instead had decided to act as an anchor. "Smite your foes, my king. Let my flesh be an offering." And with that, Autumn dropped her replica relic, wrapping her arms around the armored foe before her, the ceiling above glowing bright white before a pillar of burning light struck down the spot the pair stood. Wasting no time, Zadia focused as much of her mana as she could, the ceiling above changing to glow a bright red and orange colour, hints of yelling flowing through it as well. "Thank you, Autumn." She spoke out before falling backward off the plateau. From it's ceiling came crashing down an inferno of flames. The plateau bathed in light and flame alike. Some of the fireballs missed the surface above, soaring down beside her and into the darkness that she herself was descending into. "I'm coming for you Keegan!" she cried out as she turned her body around just in time to see a blur of orange, red, and yellow collide with her. It was not flame that she was met with, though, but instead her face was comforted by feathers. "Calcifer!" She sounded relieved and excited at the same time. As flames rained down from above, Keegan did he best to dodge them, the sounds of the spectral knight battling the death knight still ringing out not far from him. "Mom where are you!?!" The frightened child cried out as he backed away, flame and rock crashing down just to the left of him. Lifting his head, Keegan watched as a series of flames began to descend toward him quickly from far above. "Help...me.." the child cried as he fell to his knees, head tilted back as he just watched what could only be described as his own death descending upon him. Though just as the flames were about to reach him, a set of slender arms embraced the child, feathers wrapping around and pressing to him from behind. For a sudden moment it was as if time had stopped. Nothing seemed to move and there was no sound, but then a sudden burst of flames erupted from Zadia's chest, burning Keegan in the process, but for significantly less damage than what had nearly collided with him. Lifting his head, Keegan looked up to see the face of Zadia, the woman who had adopted him. His mother. Bits of her cheeks were burned, her jawline having suffer necrotic decay. Though the first thing Keegan noticed before any of the damage, was her smile. Then the tears that fell onto his face. "Mom?" He whispered, confused and scared. Her voice was slightly choked at first, but Zadia did everything she could to keep smiling and speak as softly as she could. She had never been a mother and she hadn't been lucky enough to keep her own as long as she would have liked, but she knew roughly what it took. What Keegan needed most right now. "Be a good boy, for me. Alright?" She whispered as she hugged him tightly. "Be safe. Be kind. Live a long life and keep running. For me." He both asked and lovingly demanded of him. "Bad.." He paused, speaking itself growing almost too difficult. "Bad people will come for you. Just keep running and hiding. For as long as it takes." Her eyes closed now, her breathing slowing. "I'll always..." Her words stopped short, breathing seemingly halted. "Mom?" Keegan replied, tugging on her cloak some, hoping for a response. "Mom!!" He screamed as tears filled his eyes. "Hey!! Mom!! Mom!!!" He continued, tugging on her cloak frantically. Though he stopped suddenly when he felt the cold air on his back. Moments ago, there had been warmth. A familiar fluffiness that the child had fallen asleep against night after night. Though as Zadia's words has stopped, the warmth at his back had too. Turning around, Keegan looked behind him, hoping to find his best friend. His brother. Though where he had hoped to find a fluffy, goofy phoenix, he found a single feather, resting upon the charred stone, gently glowing in the endless darkness that surrounded him. "Calcifer?" He called out to the feather. "Come on! We gotta save mom!" He exclaimed as he lifted the feather up, turning to the corpse behind him. "Don't worry mom! I...I packed extra healing bread.." He stated, frantically searching through his own bag for some of his bread. It took some time, but eventually, Keegan accept that his mother would not eat. Straining his back, the child bent down and began to lift Zadia's lifeless corpse. Each step was difficult, but Keegan was not leaving his mother to die. Anyone else would have known that she already had, but the child refused to accept it. He was going to save her. "Shut up!!" He screamed as tears covered his cheeks, the air around him burning them worse for it. "She's not dead! If you say that one more time!!!" He went on, trying his best to walk faster now. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you Tsuya! I'll kill you!!! I'll kill you!!!! I'll...I'll..." Soft whimpers filled the air as Keegan wandered aimlessly through the chasm's abyss. Slowly the flames behind him began to grow smaller, the pulsing sound of the crystal getting quieter.